Russell T Davies, the showrunner who saw over the 2005 revival of the flagship BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who will be returning to the programme.
The Welsh screenwriter, producer, and showrunner is due to return to Doctor Who for its 14th season and 60th anniversary special in 2023, following the departure of the previous showrunner, Chris Chibnall, and the current iteration of the Doctor, Jodie Whitaker.
In a statement, Davies said that he was “beyond excited to be back on my favourite show,” though added that he was “still a viewer for now … there’s a whole series of Jodie Whittaker’s brilliant Doctor for me to enjoy, with my friend and hero Chris Chibnall at the helm”.
Davies pitched the revival series of Doctor Who with Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor. The four series that he oversaw became amongst the most viewed programs on British television and proved that Doctor Who could be successful in a modern setting after years of ridicule from dissenters who considered the show to be cheap and outdated. He would also go on to create two spin-off programmes set in Doctor Who’s universe; Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
Davies previously stated in January of this year that he believes Doctor Who would one day have an MCU-style shared universe.
“There should be a Doctor Who channel now. You look at those Disney announcements, of all those new Star Wars and Marvel shows, you think ‘we should be sitting here announcing The Nyssa Adventures or The Return of Donna Noble, and you should have the 10th and 11th Doctors together in a 10-part series'” he said in an interview of Waitrose Weekend. This could perhaps be an indication of the direction Davies wishes to take the series upon his return.
Since leaving Doctor Who, Russell T Davies has gone on to create the critically acclaimed LGBT series Cucumber, Banana, and Tofu. His return will also see him reunite with Doctor Who revival producer Julie Gardner and her founded studio, Bad Wolf Productions (named after the Doctor Who concept). The studio is most well known for its 2019 adaptation of the His Dark Materials fantasy novels.
Words by Alex Daud Briggs
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